The purpose of this research project is to investigate the medical and demographic aspects of Negro slavery in the British West Indies. The study begins with an investigation of the disease environments of Europe, tropical Africa, and the Caribbean region, with major emphasis on the Caribbean region and how it was affected by the immigration of people from other disease environments. Logistic, health, and medical aspects of the slave trade are being investigated. These are related to prevailing patterns of morbidity and mortality in the West Indies. A major task will be to identify and assess the importance of such medical ecological factors as food and drink, clothing, shelter, work loads, sanitation and punishment. The investigation is concerned with the number of medical practitioners, their professional training, organization and conduct of practice among the slaves. The hypothesis of the study is that while the death rate declined because of improved medical and other treatment of slaves, the birth rate did not increase sufficiently to make for an overall increase in the slave population of most of the West Indian colonies.